While IRT technology has gotten increasingly powerful, detailed knowledge of all the functions an IRT can and should do has lagged somewhat behind. This white paper — which includes an up-to-date checklist for use in the IRT selection process — was prompted by requests from our clients and colleagues —Sponsors, CROs, and Clinical Suppliers— for a reasonably comprehensive summary of features and issues to consider when vetting IRT systems today. The first iteration of the white paper/checklist was published in 2016.

Veracity Logic (VL), based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle area, specializes exclusively in providing IRT systems for clinical trials. The checklist derives from our decade of experience deploying global systems, including the critical transition years from phone to web. It’s a fair statement of the capabilities you can and should reasonably expect from an IRT vendor, and it is our recommended reference guide for issues to consider when selecting your IRT provider.

Around the Corner

As noted earlier, new uses of the IRT are becoming available almost as quickly as one can define them. As of this writing, some cutting-edge capabilities, not yet provided by all or even most vendors, include:

Forecasting: A step beyond predictive inventory control during a trial, providing additional planning algorithms for drug manufacture and distribution.

Mobile compatibility: The ability to access the IRT system on diverse mobile devices and platforms, with no diminishment of look, feel, or capability.

Drug pooling capabilities: The ability to assign drug across protocols, generally controlled by a dashboard-type management tool within the IRT.

Companies vetting IRT vendors should be sure to initiate conversations on the status of these capabilities and/or plans for implementation in the future.

Checklists like this are living documents; they must be updated as the industry progresses. Got more items to add to the checklist? Send them to info@veracitylogic.com.